Kehoe's return 'makes everything feel right again at UM'

Art Kehoe, who won five national championships as a UM assistant coach, was finally named the Hurricanes offensive line coach Monday -- about a week after rumors began to surface he might have a chance to return home.

Kehoe, 52, spent the past two seasons as the offensive line coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He played two seasons for UM as a junior-college transfer and served as an assistant UM coach for 25 years before he was fired Jan. 2, 2006, by former coach Larry Coker.

New coach Al Golden interviewed Kehoe last Thursday in Mississippi. Kehoe accepted the job Sunday and the announcement was formally made late Monday afternoon.

"Everybody who has ever been coached by that guy has a pretty significant and everlasting bond with Coach Kehoe," said former Hurricane offensive lineman KC Jones, who is now a financial advisor who lives in West Palm Beach.

"He was a big reason I came to the University of Miami. His attitude and his passion is unmatched by any player or individual I've been around. You can't help but increase your tempo, your level of excitement just being around the guy. He's a guy that comes over and changes a program, the outlook, the excitement level of anybody involved."

Jones said he'll never forget what Kehoe told him when he was being recruited by UM, Oklahoma, Rice and Duke.

"I was pretty wide-eyed when I got to the University of Miami on my recruiting trip," said Jones, who from Midland, Texas. "I remember him asking me what other schools were recruiting me and when I listed the schools, he said, 'That's great. That sounds great. You can go to those other schools. But just know we're going to end up kicking your ass.

"The attitude he has is what the University of Miami is all about. He embodied that spirit. Bringing Coach Kehoe back makes everything feel right at the University of Miami again."